Wireless sensor network data management system and method

Abstract

An system has a sensing device for detecting a signal and logic configured to assess a timestamp to at least one data point contained in the signal prior to transmitting data indicative of the data point to a controller.

1. A system, comprising:
 a wireless sensing device for detecting a signal, the wireless sensing device coupled to a portion of a user's body and configured to sense at least one data point indicative of at least one physiological characteristic; 
 logic executed on the wireless sensing device, the logic configured to assess a timestamp to the at least one data point prior to transmitting data indicative of the data point to a controller. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic is further configured to assess the timestamp prior to on-sensor processing of the signal. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data point is indicative of an event. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the logic is further configured to identify the event and store data indicative of the event in a memory device. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , further comprising a first and second memory tier, wherein the first memory tier exhibits less latency and less power consumption than the second memory tier. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the logic is further configured to buffer the data indicative of the event in the first memory tier. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the logic is further configured to store data in memory indicative of a plurality of events. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the logic is further configured to store the data indicative of the plurality of events in the first memory tier when transmission is not possible until the first memory tier is full. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the logic is further configured to copy the data indicative of the events from the first memory tier to the second memory tier when the first memory tier is full when transmission is not possible. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the logic is further configured to copy the data to an output queue when transmission becomes possible in order of occurrence based upon the timestamps. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic is further configured to detect network reliability. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the logic is further configured to defer transmission of the data indicative of the data point to a controller based upon the detected network reliability. 
     
     
       13. A method, comprising the steps of:
 detecting least one data point indicative of at least one physiological characteristic via a sensor coupled to a portion of a user's body; and 
 assessing a timestamp to the at least one data point prior to transmitting data indicative of the data point from the sensor to a controller. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of assessing the timestamp prior to on-sensor processing of the signal. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the data point is indicative of an event. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of identifying the event. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of storing event data in memory indicative of the event. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising a first and second memory tier, wherein the first memory tier exhibits less latency and less power consumption than the second memory tier. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of storing the event data in the first memory tier. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the event data is indicative of a plurality of events. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of storing the event data in the first memory tier until the first memory tier is full when transmission is not possible. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of copying the event data from the first memory tier to the second memory tier when the first memory tier is full when transmission is not possible. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising the step of copying the event data to an output queue when transmission becomes possible in order of occurrence based upon the timestamps. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of determining network reliability. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of deferring transmission of the data indicative of the data point to a controller based upon the detected network reliability.